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ji(SW^!@]k pr SERVING NEBRASKA AND IOWA SINCE 1920
Vol. LXIV No. 35 Omaha, Nebr.
1 SIvan, 5747 Friday, May 29, 1987
Murray Newman: 'Our scholarship funds are underfinanced.' By Joanie Jacobson , Federation public relations director
"One of the most urgent needs in our community continues to be scholarsip funds to send our young people on to college," wrote Murray Newman, chairman of the Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Omaha, in a recently published newsletter. "Currently, the Financial Aid committee can fund through our endowments, less than 50 percent of the requests being reviewed," continued Mr. Newman. "Our scholarship funds are underfinanced!" At present, there are eight funds for college scholarships now administered by the Foundation. They are: the David E. Beber scholarship fund; the Sandra L. Feldman memorial scholarship fund; the Nancy and Don Grieenberg scholarship fund; the Burton L. Robinson student athletic scholarship fund; the Lois Jeanne Schrager memorial fund; the Beatrice and Nate H. Sherman scholarship fund; the Ruth Sokolof special education scholarship futid and the B'nai B'rith Dr: Abe Greenberg/Henry Monsky. Lodge endowment fund. Steve Riekes, chairman of the Financial Aid committee of the Bureau of Jewish Education, reponsible for the allocation and distribution of these funds, explained, "The Omaha Jewish community has always moved forward with regard to creating educational opportunities for its'young people. We can be very proud of our record. But the fact is that today's ^ucational lieeds h^ve become so great that available dollars are simply inadequate, in almost every area, to fully afford these peofile every opportunity for a satisfactory coDegeeducation. There are numerous Jewish families in
Omaha who find it very difficult to meet these expenses, and it is the purpose of the Financial Aid committee to assist all students who apply. "One of the hallmarks of the Jewish people, one of the distinguishing features of Jewish values is the emphasis placed on education. It is the key to our future. It has always been the obligation of every Jewish community to ensure quality educational experiences for its youth. "It is crucial that our community be made aware of the current situation so that it can respond appropriately," said Mr. Riekes. The aimual cost of attending an out-of-state university can easily be $17,000. In-state tuitions and expenses can total anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 per year. Whether it's«sllege or Jewish summer camps, trips to Israel, community teachers, the JCC nursery school or the Jewish Day School, the costs are significant and our needs are tremendous." Susie Drazen, interim administrator of the Federation's Biu-eau df Jewish Education, agreed, "While the costs of education are rising geometrically, our funding for scholarships has not risen commensurately, This is not because funds are being withheld, but rather, because people are just not aware of the facts as they exist todays Not until we are personally faced with the cost of a college education today, can we fully understand the problem." The accompanying graph illustrates a random sampling of Foundation scholarship applicants from the 1987-88 school year. It compari^s present needs (college costs) with the finaT award made by the Financial Aid committee. Mrs. Drazen ex-
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plained that awards are made on the basis stand the critical need for today's educaof financial need, academic achievement, tional dollars. Certainly, costs will escalate Jewish involvement/activities in high school in the future. We would urge those who can and college, available funds, the cost of a to consider establishing an endowed specific college and personal recommenda- scholarship fund. It would be a living gift— they would be able to see the fruits of their tions. ".We genuinely appreciate the generosity, generosity and, in the long run, their gift foresight and confidence demonstrated by would benefit an entu^ Jewish community." each and every college scholarship fund now For additional information, call Jerry adniinistered by the Foundation," added Rosen at the Foundation of the Jewish FedMr. Newman. "However, it's important that the Omaha Jewish conununity under- eration of Omaha, 334-8200, Ext. 275.
NCJW surveys Omaha for national study
licndering by Paul Stevenson
OIPF.
p Design released for US Holocaust Memorial Museum WASHINGTON, D.C.-The design of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, to be located near the heart of the Mall in Washington, D.C.. was unveiled May 22 at a Fedei;al Commission of Fine Arts meeting. The design, by architect James Ingo Freed of I.M. Pei and Partners in association with Notter Finegold and Alexander Inc., calls for a hexagonal memorial, the Hall of Remembrance, connected to a fivestory museum structure featuring a sky-lit, atrium-like Hall of Witness. Dedicated to remembering the Holocaust, the museum/memorial will be located on Raoul Wallenberg Place (formerly 15th Street! near Independence Avenue, S.W. and will face the nearby Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial. It will stretch the entire block to I4th Street and sti.nd between the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to its south and the red brick Auditor's Building on Independence Avenue. ' . Subject to approval by all constituted authorities, construction may start later this year. The museum would take two to
three years to build and could be completed in 1990. ; ., The design, approved unanimously by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council on April 28, was hailed by Council Chairman Harvey M. Meyerhoff as "a fitting national museum telling the story of the darkest days of human history" and America's role during that time, including the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. "The museum will meet our goal, " he said, "to remember the past for the sake of the future." The building exterior has been designed to be compatible with its neighbor to the south, the Bureau' of Printing and Engraving, and the building to its north, the Auditor's Building. The museum's permanent exhibition, filling three floors, will tell the story of the Holocaust. It wiU focus on the six million Jews, including more than one million children, exterminated in the Holocaust and the millions of other victims of Nazism, including Poles, Gypsies, Soviet citizens, the handicapped, and others. The exhibition will also (Continued on Page 2)
In a study sponsored and coordinated by the NCJW Center for the Child, a research center established by the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), 23 local companies and organizations were surveyed to determine how well their employment policies and benefit packages serve the needs of working parents. Research in Omaha was conducted by the local NCJW Section and is part of a nationwide "Mothers in the Workplace" study carried out in nearly 100 communities. "The importance of this study is underscored by the fact that nearly half of mothers with children under one year of age are in the paid labor force. Many of these women return to work within several weeks of childbirth to preserve their jobs and essential family income," said Jane Rips. "The United States is the only industrialized country that does not have national
policies providing leaves of absence from work for maternity and early infant care. Instead, policies are set by individual employers. NCJW is interested in discovering what these policies are and how they vary in order to make recommendations on the issue," she added. The 23 companies and organizations surveyed in Omaha included a variety of large and small employers in both the public and private sectors. 'They provided information about 41 groups of workers, representing managerial and professional occupations, other white collar occupations, and blue collar and service occupations. A total of 24,000 persons areemployed in the groups surveyed. Of these workers, 54% are women, Ms. Rips said. Study results * Regarding medical or disability leave for (Continued on Page 2)
Gerda Klein to speak at New Life dinner Cantor Leo Fettman, chairman for State of Israel Bonds *^'' New Life dinner, announced that the distinguished author, journalist, historian and lecturer, Gerda Klein, will be the guest speaker at this . Gerda Klein year's New Life dinner to be held on June 14 at Beth Israel Syagogue. Mrs. Klein was born in Poland and was one of 200 survivors from her camp in Silesia who were driven 1,000 miles toward Czechoslovakia by the Gestapo in midwinter of 1945 as the Nazi empire began to crumble. As an author, her first book, All But My Life, was about her experiences in Nazi oc-
cupied Europe. Gerda Klein's other books include. The Blue Rose, about the mentally retarded, and her most recent work. Promise of a New Spring, a children's book on the history of the Holocaust presented in a non-frightening way. She has received numerous awards including; the Hanna Solomon Award of the Council of Jewish Women as Woman of the Year; the Humanitarian Citation of Trocairo College, Buffalo; Award for the Year of the Special Child from D'Youville College, and the Adele Rosenwald Levy Award of the United Jewish Appeal. Her husband is Kurt Klein who, as a U.S. Intelligence officer, rescued her from the ^^_ Nazis. ^U Cantor Fettman added, "The whole com- ^^ munity is invited, and if you have not received an invitation please telephone the Israel Bond office at 341-1177 to make yourreservation. ^^^